1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a guide wire for guiding and programming of electrode arrangements which can be inserted into human or animal bodies. Furthermore, the invention relates to a multipolar electrode arrangement for an electrical stimulation device such as, for example, an implantable heart pace maker, cardioverter/defibrillator, or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Such a guide wire comprises a longitudinal body with a proximal end which, after insertion of the guide wire, is located outside of a human or animal body, and a distal end which can be inserted into a body or into the lumen of an electrode line. It serves for guiding electrode arrangements safely to the treatment location. Also considered as a guide wire in the sense of the application is a mandrin, which is inserted into an electrode arrangement to actuate, for example, an active fixation.
An electrode arrangement according to the prior art has, at its proximal end, an electrical connection with electrical contacts for contacting the respective opposite contacts of a connection of the electrical stimulation device. At the distal end there are a plurality of electrically conductive surface areas, also referred to as poles, electrodes (e.g. ring or tip electrodes), or electrode poles, which are connected via corresponding feed lines with the electrical contacts of the connection of the electrode line.
Multipolar electrode lines which, e.g., are used for neurostimulation, have an adequately complex electrical connection in the form of an electrode connector comprising, e.g., 8 contacts. Furthermore, the number of practicable electrode poles is limited by the number of possible electrode feed lines.
For the application of the cardial stimulation (e.g. coronary sinus electrodes for the cardial resynchronization therapy), the multipolar electrodes could not establish themselves so far because the current connector standards (IS-1, in the future IS-4) do not support the use of multipolar electrodes.
For the final application, when using multipolar electrode lines, only some of the available electrode poles are utilized. The selection of the same happens either by means of electrical inspection after implantation or already before the implantation based on the anatomical conditions.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,859,667 describes the integration of a multiplexer in an electrode with the goal to remain compatible to the actual connector standards. Here, however, a permanent active control of the multiplexer by means of the electronic implant is required. The disadvantage of this known solution is that an implant, which is adapted to the electrode and its multiplexer, is required at all times.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,418,348, a multiplexer integrated into the distal end of the electrode is described as well. Here, it is also required that the electronic implant carries out the electrode configuration, and hence an appropriate connector configuration and device configuration is necessary. The connection of this electrode to conventional electronic implants is not possible.
From EP 1 062 970, an electrode line is known which, between a central feed line and a respective electrode pole, comprises electronic or mechanical switching means by means of which an electrode pole can be permanently connected with the central feed line or can be permanently disconnected from the central feed line so that, as a result, only some selected electrode poles are connected via the feed line with the electrical contacts of the connection of the electrode line for the output of stimulation pulses or the reception of electrical potentials.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,628,934 shows an electrode line in the electrical connection of which (e.g. the electrode connector) or in the electrode feed line (preferably at the distal end of the electrode line) of which one-time electrically programmable switching means are integrated, which can be configured by an external device by means of an electronic configuration process before or after the implantation in such a manner that each of the contacts of the electrical connection of the electrode line are subsequently allocated to one or more of the electrode poles of the electrode line. Hence, by means of the one-time electrically programmable switching means, at completion of the configuration process, it is defined, permanently and without the need of further energy, which electrode poles are connected in an electrically conductive manner with which contact of the electrical connection of the electrode line, and which are not.
The disadvantage of this solution is that the implant can not be structured as a standard because additional control means are to be provided, which are necessary for the programming of the lines.